Samuel Gawith Chocolate Flake

Not usually being a fan of flavoured tobacco, but liking other Gawith offerings like Full Virginia Flake, I decided to give it a try.

As usual with this brand, the moisture content is excessive: a fresh tin contains rubbery and wet flakes which are almost impossible to get lit (and when they do, taste is watery). A couple of days of airing and drying are heavily recommended!

Flavoring is quite light: the tin aroma is only slightly enriched by vanilla and cocoa, but the dominant smell is of good tobacco, especially dark virginias and burley. At the test of fire, the flavoring is almost nonexistant: only when sipping very slowly, you get a faint creamy cocoa taste.

It's not a bad tobacco, but it's quite light. I wish its taste were richer. I have tried it folded or fully rubbed out, and I would suggest that rubbing it out too much can make it smoke too fast and hot, and with even less taste. Personally, I find this flake rather unremarkable, although absolutely pleasant.

I don't think I will get another tin, it's more of a once in a while curiosity than a really satisfying smoke.

If you enjoy light flakes with a very moderate amount of sweet flavoring, by all means give it a try, though. Better than the more soapy/flavored Gawith & Hoggarth equivalent flake, anyway.

This should be re-labeled as Cocoa Flake, but that would sound silly, wouldn't it? There is a big difference between cocoa and chocolate. This is plain as day cocoa. Latakia is hiding somewhere in the back ground, but it is done just right. I cannot believe cocoa and Latakia would pair very well in this flake. Best way I have found to smoke this terrific flake: Fold in half lengthwise, then fold in half the other way. Load into the bowl, then top with a wee bit of broken flake out of the tin. Light and enjoy! Truly a terrific chocolate, I mean cocoa tobacco. A must try.

Would pair well with a light roast coffee, black.

I can't say that I experienced chocolate on any sensory level, though I enjoyed the unique flavor that resulted from Gwaith's attempt. I would have to assume that naming this tobacco chocolate has more to do with the creamy and somewhat bitter flavor that one associates with very dark chocolate, but cocoa--no way. Nevertheless, a mild and flavorful smoke is still had. Needs to dry out a bit after rubbing out. Room note's out on this one.

Not what I was expecting to find in the tin. I do like English tobacco but only once did I seem to find the ideal conditions to get a satasfactory smoke from the tobacco. It seemed unbalanced.

Sorry, this stuff made me sick. I tried it many times, in many pipes, prepared many ways and it is disappointing to say the least. If it's me, so be it. If it's not, be forewarned.

Chocolate Flake is a bit of an oddity in that it is a virginia based aromatic. The virginia base is of excellent quality. The latakia is difficult to detect - but there is a certain gravitas to the smoke which most likely comes from it. The chocolate is not sweet, and does not interfere with the tobacco taste. There are no high notes in this, but the consistently dark flavour is by no means monochromatic. The tin aroma is chocolate and I was not sure if I was going to like it, but have gone through the tin in no time at all and will look forward to more as a cold weather aromatic.

A must try for the lover of aromatic tobaccos, but equally recommended to pure virginia smokers as a variation on a theme.

I must admit before starting that I'm not much of an aromatic smoker although before making the switch to VAs and Burleys I smoked aromatics exclusively for about 2-3 years. I believe I have some ground to stand on to review this blend.

When first opening the tin you will be greeted with the most outstanding smell of VAs, a little Latakia and that all important chocolate topping. The strongest smell is the VAs to my nose, not the other ingredients and the chocolate seems to be more of a coco smell rather than a chocolate - or if a chocolate, then a bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate at best. I was so mesmerized with this smell and the look of the flakes that I dove right into my first bowl. Now, I must note that the tobacco is a bit on the wet side in the tin so you need to give it a little drying time before lighting up.

Methods of smoking tried: My first bowl was the roll and stuff method of loading. My second bowl was about 70% rubbed out. My third bowl was fully rubbed out. Roll and Stuff gives the most intense flavor. As of this writing, I've just about finished the tin - don't know how many bowls it's been.

Pipes I've tried this in: A Group 3 Meer, a group 3ish Stanwell HCA II with short stem, a group 3ish Stanwell paneled horn, a group 4 Aldo Velani, a straight paneled Nording billiard, a Gourd Calabash. So, I've kind of run the gamut on pipe sizes and styles as well.

Here's what I find ... this tobacco is a disappointment. I hate writing that even now because it smells so wonderful in the tin that I almost can't believe it just wouldn't be a winner. But, sadly, it just doesn't cut it for me. I will say however that its substantially better than GH's Bob's Chocolate Flake for sure.

The best I can tell, smoking this tobacco is nothing more than a way to make steamy clouds of smoke leaving grey dottle in the bowl when done. That's a sad review, but it's the best I have to offer. When smoking the tobacco I always thought the VA's were far to mild, the Latakia never came to center stage and the chocolate never really made much of an appearance either. It was just bland, bland, bland. At times, I did notice a slight whiff of the chocolate / coco topping as it interacted with the latakia in the 2nd hand smoke but it did little for me. The worst part was the morning after taste if you smoke this before going to bed ... ugh.

So, a long review for me but I didn't want to post a negative review without at least showing that I did really give this tobacco it's fair day in court. And, unfortunately, it will never be in my bowls again as soon as I finish off this tin. (no, it's not good, I'm just cheap and don't want to throw it away) rp.

In my opinion this could be a very nice aromatic smoke--full of character and not at all cloying (it seems a dark bitter chocolate flavor was used), but the Latakia element makes it somewhat bloated. I liked the flavor, but since Virginia leaf, unlike Burley, is not exactly prone to absorb artificial toppings, I kind of get the impression that the chocolate was forced into the blend. The slightly salty undertone of Latakia does not exactly help, and in fact makes for a heavy room aroma, not at all appreciated by the wife. However, I imagine this can be a novel smoke in cold weather, especially for the Latakia lover who'd like a change of pace.

I agree with other reviewers in the sense that artificially condimental tobaccos are not the specialty of British blenders. Another similar Lakeland experiment (Perfection), only goes to proves the point.

It seems there are a lot of different views on this S&G CH flake.

I'd like to add mine as to add in numbers to what others have already said.

My tin was some years old (even had some rust outside) and was bought on Praga when my sister was traveling there.

Contents were moist and hard to light without drying. First bowl I did not dry and was not possible to smoke. The second bowl I started experimenting with drying times and filling styles. For me It was best smoke with 2-4h drying and crumbling/rubbing the flakes to help keeping it lit.

After those first experiences here's what I found:

You can definetly taste the virginias and burleys, the latakias were there but very very mild almost not possible to taste. This blend does not bite and smokes cool. Have little chocolate taste that only appears here and there sometimes. As I said tobacco was moist and leaved some moisture on the end of the bowl (did not gurgle though). Smell is also great both from the tin and from the smoke. After every bowl I seem to like it more. I usually prefer those tobaccos that have soft flavoring and this fits right in that section. If you are looking for a heavy flavoring aromatic do not buy this as it wont work for you.